Program “60 Minutes” Investigates Transnational Criminal Organizations
The program “60 Minutes” conducted an in-depth investigation into the activities of transnational criminal organizations, interviewing U.S. officials on whether the DOGE Efficiency Division led by Elon Musk has helped the government save nearly $165 billion. The report also revealed how Chinese hackers use generative AI to steal the faces and personal information of Americans, misappropriating U.S. citizens’ social security benefits, social welfare funds, and even disaster relief funds. Below are the key points from the “60 Minutes” video content.
U.S. Government Accountability Office Welcomes DOGE’s Fraud Disclosure
Linda Miller, a member of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), stated that she welcomes DOGE’s disclosure regarding the personal data and properties of American taxpayers being defrauded by transnational crime organizations. Miller has worked at the GAO for over a decade, specializing in tracking how taxpayer money is spent and misused; she even authored a manual on preventing fraud in federal programs.
Last year, the GAO released a report estimating that the federal government loses up to $521 billion annually due to fraud. However, Miller believes the actual figures are likely higher, estimating annual losses could reach between $550 billion and $750 billion. Many people think of fraud as actions taken by a few individuals stealing disability benefits or food stamps, but the reality is that most American citizen victims have their identities stolen by large criminal organizations, allowing hackers and crime groups to profit, rather than just individual criminals.
Americans’ Social Security Numbers Available for Purchase on the Dark Web
Brian Vren, head of the FBI’s Cyber Division, stated that digital crime groups can almost sell every American’s Social Security number on the dark web, including personal identity information such as names, birthdates, addresses, and social security numbers. Allegedly, each piece of information is sold for just two dollars.
Disaster Victims’ Identities Misused for Relief Applications
Currently, one of the most vulnerable groups to online fraud includes those waiting for disaster relief. When a disaster strikes a region or country, fraud groups target those in greatest need of help, stealing their identities to apply for assistance. By the time the actual disaster victims prepare to apply for aid, they find out that their identities have already been compromised, and the funds have been fraudulently claimed by the fraudsters, leaving them in dire situations. The Wilkins couple, survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires, discovered that their FEMA account information had been hacked and altered when they applied for disaster assistance, resulting in their accounts being frozen. They are not alone; other victims faced similar issues.
AP41 Chinese Hacking Group Selling Americans’ Personal Data on the Dark Web
Cybercriminals utilize AI deepfakes to pass identity verification from the U.S. government. In the “60 Minutes” video, a man attempts to use his ID for camera verification, and viewers can catch a glimpse of half a Chinese man’s face when he holds up his driver’s license, with someone speaking Chinese in the background. The FBI announced that this criminal organization is known as the AP 41 Group, suspected of working for foreign governments. In 2021, the group conducted highly complex hacking attacks against at least six U.S. state governments, profiting from the theft of Americans’ personal data and subsequently defrauding the U.S. government for tax refunds, unemployment benefits, welfare payments, and grants, laundering the proceeds through shell companies and exporting the money back to China.
Has the DOGE Efficiency Division Made an Impact? White House Affirms Role
When the host of “60 Minutes” asked senior employee Linda Miller whether DOGE has helped the U.S. government save budget funds, she cautiously expressed that she absolutely welcomes the assistance from DOGE and Musk, but believes that fraud is a meticulously planned operation by transnational crime organizations, without the need for political connections.
White House spokesperson Harrison Fields stated that DOGE plays an important role in improving data accuracy and streamlining internal processes within the federal government. Through inter-agency data sharing, departments are collaborating to identify fraud and prevent criminals from exploiting hardworking American taxpayers. Thanks to the DOGE team, fraudsters will be held accountable by the Department of Justice.
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